


My Fake Gamer Boyfriend

by RangerGiselle



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Manga & Anime, Otome - Freeform, Romance, Tropes, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-14 02:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12997818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RangerGiselle/pseuds/RangerGiselle
Summary: My silly contribution for Fenris Appreciation Month, Day 24 - ModernThis is an Alternate Universe story, using some of the Dragon Age 2 characters in a slice-of-life, high school romance anime style.  It's intentionally very trope heavy, so if you like romance anime, manga, or dating sims/otome games, you're going to recognize a lot of the themes.  This was super fun to write!Premise:Hitomi Hawke is excited about her new school year, until it gets disrupted by a white-haired, tattooed transfer student from Tevinter.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Title Screen

 

Pink petals drifted lazily from the trees, dusting the sidewalk and adding a sweet fragrance to the air as Hitomi Hawke walked the same route that she had taken every day last year. Her long black hair caught the light breeze, and she smoothed her bangs back into place.  _ A new school year, _ she thought, gripping the straps of her bag a little tighter. She was already looking forward to seeing some of her friends from last year, but she was a little nervous, too.

“Hitomi!” a girl called from up ahead, waving enthusiastically. She had shoulder-length straight dark hair and cute bangs.

“Good morning, Rika-chan,” Hitomi said, smiling at her friend.

“Aren't the twins coming this year?” she asked, looking behind Hitomi.

“Oh Bethany and Carver will be there, yes, I just wanted to get an early start – you know, get a good seat for the entrance ceremony.”

“Yep, that sounds like you, Hitomi. You know, you should think about joining a club or student council or something.”

“Me? No way,” she replied, putting her hands up in a defensive stance and shaking her head. “I'm not really looking for that kind of responsibility.”

Rika raised an eyebrow in accusation.  “Don't tell me...you're still stopping at the arcade every day?” she guessed.  Hitomi’s guilty expression must have given her away, because Rika laughed. 

“I'm still trying to beat that one dragon,” Hitomi admitted. “I can get its health bar down most of the way, and I know I'm close, but I keep running out of health potions.”

“Are you ever going to outgrow that stuff?  We're second years now! We're going to have so many new experiences. You don't want to miss it, do you?” Rika asked, throwing her arms out, spinning to walk backwards in front of Hitomi.

“New experiences? You mean boys, don't you?” Hitomi clarified with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“What else? A new year, new boys,” she answered, grinning.

“Just stay away from Carver,” Hitomi joked. “He never cleans his room, ever.”

“Well, not  _ Carver _ .  But I'm not ruling out first years in general. I mean, don't  _ you _ want a boyfriend?” she asked.

“I...I don't know,” she said, blushing. “I don't think I could do that. You know, confess to a guy? I think I'd faint or something.”

“But you get along fine with boys. What about that one who sat behind you last year – Anders, wasn't it? He was always really nice to you.”

“He's a childhood friend, though. We practically grew up together, so there's no pressure there.”

“That's a shame. He's cute.”

“ _ Anders?   _ I don't really think of him that way.” Hitomi sighed. “I wish you and I were in the same class this year, Rika-chan. It's going to be awful not seeing you.”

“We can still meet for lunch on the rooftop, like usual. And at least Anders is still in your class, so you won't be alone.”

“You're right,” Hitomi acknowledged.  _ Maybe good things will happen this year. I have to stay positive. _

They arrived at the school and changed into their school shoes before heading to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony. As they neared the door, Hitomi remembered something.  _ I left my student ID in my locker.  _ “Rika, I have to go back, save me a seat, will you?”

She nodded, and that was Hitomi's sign to hurry. She rushed back down the hallway.  _ How could I have been so careless? I left early so that I would have time to get into the auditorium on time, and now I might be late _ . She rounded a corner and ran face-first into something, falling backwards. She landed on her backside, one shoe sliding off in the process.

“Watch where you're going,” a male voice said, and Hitomi looked up to see who it was that she had bumped into.

She didn't know him, and he was obviously foreign, given the darker tone of his skin. His hair was white – which was unusual enough – and even at this angle she could see it hung in his bright green eyes. But the most startling thing was the tattoos.  _ Is he a delinquent? _   He was standing with his hands in his pockets. Hitomi realized she hadn't said anything and they'd been looking at each other for a few seconds.

“Sorry,” she said, scooting backwards away from him and getting to her feet. She dusted off her skirt and went to reach for her shoe but didn't see it on the floor. When she looked back at the boy, he was holding it out to her. She gingerly reached out her hand.

“You might need this,” he said with a chuckle, the deep tones of his voice sounding exotic even to her ears. She had been worried, but he gave over the shoe easily.

“Thank you,” she muttered, her cheeks suddenly feeling a bit warm as she put her foot back into the shoe.  _ Crap, my ID!  _ Giving one last small nod of acknowledgment, she turned to leave.

“Hey Klutz,” the boy said, and she looked back at him. The corners of his lips curled up in a small smile. “Be a little more careful next time.” With that, he turned and headed toward the auditorium, leaving her standing in the hallway. She shook her head, and went to her locker.

After retrieving her ID, she made it back to her seat just in time. Looking over, she noticed that Anders had taken the seat on the other side of her.

He whispered, “What took you so long? I thought you weren't going to make it.”

“I ran into someone in the hallway,” Hitomi answered vaguely, still a little dazed from her encounter with the tattooed boy.  _ Who was he anyway? _

The entrance ceremony started, and they had no further time for talking. Hitomi listened to the usual talk to the student body about having a good year, and deciding what kind of student life they wanted to have. The teachers got a chance to speak, and things wrapped up quickly after that.

As they reached the hallway, Hitomi gave her friend one last wave before heading to her class, 2-B. Anders opened the sliding door of the classroom and held it for her to enter.

“Thanks,” she said, stepping inside. The surroundings felt familiar: the blackboard, the rows of desks, the large windows along the wall. She found her seat, and saw that Anders was close to her again, this time sitting in front of her.

“Lucky,” he said cheerfully, putting his things down on his desk. “I was worried we wouldn't be sitting anywhere near each other.”

Looking around at the other students, she saw a few familiar faces, but a lot that she didn't recognize. One girl in particular stood out. She had long dark wavy hair, and dark skin. She was pretty, but the large gold earrings she was wearing were going to get her in trouble in a hurry.  _ Should I tell her? _

Making up her mind, she walked over to the new girl, and leaned over. “I don't mean to bother you, but I don't want you to get in trouble. They have a rule here about jewelry.”

“Oh, right, I remember reading something about that now,” the girl said, meeting Hitomi's gaze. She reached up and took off one earring, then the other, and slipped them into her bag. “Good looking out. I'm Isabela.”

“Hitomi Hawke,” she introduced herself. “Are you new at this school?”

“Yeah, my mom just moved here from Rivain.”

Anders called over her shoulder, “Who's your friend?”

“This is Isabela. She's a new transfer. Isabela, this is Anders.” Isabela nodded.

“How are you liking it here so far?” he asked.

“It's weird,” she said. “Everything's so different here than it was in Rivain. I'm still getting used to it.”

“It guess it's probably hard to adjust to a new country,” he acknowledged.

The door slid open again, and the teacher, Ms. Satama came in. “Everyone take your seats,” she said.

Once everyone was back at their desks, the door opened again, and in walked the tattooed boy from before. Hitomi's jaw dropped, but she quickly regained her composure.  _ He's in my class?  I could have sworn he was older. _ __ He stood next to Ms. Satama.

“Isabela, can you come up here?” the teacher asked, and she went up to stand on the other side of her.

“As you can see, we have two new transfer students this semester. This is Isabela. Would you like to introduce yourself?”

Isabela looked at the class, her earlier uncertainly not showing in the least. “Sure. I'm Isabela. I just moved here from Rivain, and I look forward to a good year here.” She gave a small bow to the other students.

Ms. Satama turned to the boy, “And this is Fenris. Your turn.”

He slouched, looking off to the side. “Yeah. So I am Fenris, which I suppose you just heard. My dad moved us here from Tevinter.” He stopped speaking. Hitomi wasn't sure if he was just finished, or if he didn't know what he was supposed to say.

“I hope that you'll give them both a warm welcome,” Ms. Satama said. “You two can take your seats. Fenris, you'll be over by the window, next to Hawke.”

Hitomi sat up straight in her chair and glanced over at the empty seat on her left. She hadn't even bothered to check who would be sitting there, having been so relieved to have Anders close by. The new boy –  _ Fenris _ , she reminded herself – walked over to the desk and set down his things. That’s when he saw her.

The small grin of amusement returned to his face. “Oh, you again? Can you keep it to your side of the aisle, Klutz?”

Hitomi felt her cheeks flush, and she turned her face down to her books and pretended to be reading over the coursework.

“Just ignore him, Hitomi-chan,” Anders said, intentionally using the familiar version of her name. It did help put her at ease, and she smiled at him.

“So your name is Hitomi,” the boy said in his deep baritone. “Better than Klutz, anyway, I guess.”

“Don't be so informal with girls you don't know,” Anders protested, frowning at the new guy.

The class started then, and Hitomi focused on the lesson. She found herself tempted to look at Fenris, and after a while, gave into the urge and snuck a quick glance, only to find him looking at her. It was harder to concentrate after that and she was grateful when the bell sounded to signal the start of lunch.

She stood up from her seat, and grabbed her lunch out of her bag.

“Going to meet Rika?” Anders asked.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling.

“Tell her I said hello,” he said.

Hitomi went to leave when a thought hit her,  _ I should invite Isabela. I bet she doesn't know anyone yet. _   She walked over to the new girl and smiled. “Do you want to eat lunch on the roof with my friend and I?”

She smiled back, exhaling a breath of relief. “Really? That would be great, thanks!” She got up, gathered her things, and together they walked to the stairs to the roof.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The First Stage

 

Rika was already waiting by the time Isabela and Hitomi reached the meeting spot. She had brought someone, too, which immediately put Hitomi's mind at ease about inviting the new girl. Rika's friend was petite, with short dark hair, pale skin, and facial tattoos.  _ Odd, they don’t make her look dangerous, the way that the Tevinter boy's had. _

“Hitomi, over here!” Rika exclaimed, waving her over. The took up spots outside one of the structures on the roof, their backs to the wall, looking out through the chain-link fence at the grounds of the school below. The scent of the cherry blossoms reached even here, making Hitomi smile.

“Rika, I see you made a new friend, too,” Hitomi said. “This is Isabela from my class.”

“Yeah, this is Merrill. She's new here too. There seems to be quite a few transfers this year.”

“Nice to meet you Merrill, what brought your family to town?” Hitomi asked her.

“Work. The new factory here had a lot of opportunities, and several of my family were accepted, so we moved,” the girl answered. She looked down a lot, but still spoke clearly. Hitomi wondered if she was shy or just adjusting, like Isabela was.

“Sounds like you have a big family,” Hitomi observed.

“Oh yes, I do. It gets a bit noisy at times, but it's nice,” she admitted.

“I have twin siblings, so I can understand that.” Hitomi laughed, thinking about the times that things had gotten loud growing up. She, Bethany, and Carver were all so close in age that they had constantly competed over the same things. That led to many arguments in the Hawke household. Poor Carver often found himself being outnumbered, being the only boy in the house after their father had passed away.

“Merrill...I hope this doesn't come across rude, but-”

“You want to ask about my facial tattoos. It's okay, I've been getting it all day. Everyone back home has them; it was normal there.”

“I know the real reason you want to know,” Isabela hinted, amusement creeping into her tone.

“What?” Hitomi asked.

“You're thinking about that hot Tevinter boy in our class. What was his name? Oh yeah, Fenris.”

“What's this?” Rika asked. “Hitomi, you met someone?”

“No, it's nothing like that,” she denied, shaking her head emphatically. “He just has these tattoos, and I wondered if he might be...I don't know, dangerous or something. But if Merrill's people use them regularly, maybe the people in Tevinter do too.”

“That boy is  _ definitely _ dangerous. I wouldn't mind seeing just how far down those tattoos go, myself,” Isabela commented.

Hitomi gasped. “Isabela!”

“What? Like you're not curious.”

Rika chuckled. “Hitomi's just pure. She's never even had a boyfriend before.”

“Seriously?” Isabela asked, giving her a curious look.

“It's not that weird,” she protested weakly.

The four girls ate the rest of their lunch on the sunny rooftop, enjoying each other's company. They all exchanged phone numbers and email addresses, and promised to communicate with each other. Hitomi returned to class with Isabela and sat back in her seat. After making not one, but two new friends this year already, she was feeling pretty good, and threw herself into her studies.

At the end of the day, Anders turned to her, “Can I walk you home?”

“I should probably find Carver and Bethany.  It was their first day today,” she answered.

“Right, they're first years now, I think I forgot. Maybe tomorrow, then,” he said, giving a small nod of his head, and exited the room.

Hitomi gathered her things and checked her phone. She had a message from Bethany. It read: 'Walked home already with some girls from class, don't wait for me. Carver's with the basketball coach. I think they're trying to recruit him. You should go home without us.'

_ Well, I guess that settles that, then. How very like Bethany, making friends on her first day. She was always the outgoing one in the family. And they want Carver for the basketball team? That's great, but I wish I had read the message before I said something to Anders.    _ Hitomi realized that gave her some free time, and no one to walk home with.  _  I can stop by the arcade. _

She left the grounds, taking a deep breath, and walked the short distance to the familiar establishment. The bell sounded when she opened the door.

“Hawke-chan, welcome back,” the attendant, Touma, said upon seeing her. “Today's the day, huh?”

“Yep, I'm gonna be the first to take down that dragon!” she declared, clenching her fist in determination.

“Well...” Touma hesitated.

“No way, someone got to it before me?!” Hitomi exclaimed, running over to the machine in question. She'd been playing Age of Dragons nearly every day since it came in a few weeks ago, and she'd held the top score that whole time. But when she looked at the screen, the usual 'HAWKE' was replaced with 'FENRS'.

Hitomi scowled, and looked at Touma. “The guy who got the top score...he didn't happen to have white hair and tattoos, did he?”

“Yeah, that's the one,” Touma confirmed.

_ That jerk! He makes fun of me _ and  _ he steals my victory? You just declared war, Tevinter. _ Hitomi was all focus now as she sat down at the machine and put in the money to start her game. She was determined to beat him. It took her a few tries, but she finally beat the dragon boss she'd been stuck on. However, the win still tasted bitter in her throat knowing that  _ he'd  _ been the one to beat it first _. _ She played for a while longer, satisfied to once again see 'HAWKE' on top of the leaderboard.

When she looked up from the game, it was already dark outside.  _ Crap, Mom's gonna throw a fit. _ She waved good-bye to Touma as she ran out the door. Hurrying down the streets now dimly lit by streetlamps, she chastised herself for letting that jerk get the better of her.  _ Tomorrow, Tevinter. Things will be different. _

*             *             *

The next morning, her ears still ringing a little from the scolding she'd gotten from her mother, Hitomi walked the path back to school. She'd slept a little longer today, so she was with her two siblings. Bethany chattered cheerfully, telling her all about her new friends. Bethany looked similar to Hitomi, with dark hair and eyes.  Bethany wore hers a little shorter, just past her shoulders, and hers had a bit of curl to it, whereas Hitomi's was more straight.

Carver had grown quite a bit in the last year and now stood taller than either of his two sisters. His hair was a little long on top, evidence that he probably needed a haircut, but it gave him a boyish charm.

“I heard the coach was talking to you yesterday,” Hitomi stated.

“Yeah, they want me to try out for the team,” he said.

“You've always enjoyed basketball. Are you thinking about joining?” she asked, looking up at him.

“I think I might. It would be something I would have that would be different than you two, anyway.”

“It's not a competition, Carver,” Bethany commented. “But Hitomi's right. You used to love playing. I think you'd enjoy it, but only if it's what you want to do.”

He nodded, thoughtful for a while, and they walked the rest of the way in silence. As they neared school, there was still no sign of Rika. It was close to the start of the day, and Hitomi assumed she was probably already in her class.  _ Guess I'll see her at lunch.  _ Entering the school grounds, the twins headed off to a separate section of the building than her.

After changing her shoes, she made it to class with a couple of minutes to spare. She noticed that Fenris was sitting in his seat already, leaning back, eyes closed.  _ Is he asleep? _ Remembering seeing his name on the screen yesterday, her anger surged again. She set her things down loudly on the desk, and smiled a little to herself in satisfaction when she saw him jump.

“Can you not be more quiet, Klutz? You sound like a herd of elephants,” he grumbled.

“Oh, did I wake you up?” Hitomi said with a touch of sarcasm.  “Terribly sorry.”

Her tone got her a strange look, half confusion, half amusement again.  _ How dare he laugh at her, that...dragon-stealing jerk! _

When she sat down, Anders was also looking at her with his brown furrowed. “What are you doing?” he whispered.

She shrugged, pulled out a piece of paper and furiously scribbled on it. She turned it around so he could read it. It read: 'Sorry, I just can't stand that guy'.

After he read it, she scratched it out, and glancing up, saw Anders smiling at her. He gave a shake of his head, and wrote something as well. When she turned it back around, she saw his note: 'I thought maybe you liked him or something'.

She stared at him, dumbfounded for a second before shaking her head, and after scratching out the previous line again, wrote: 'He stole my dragon'. Pursing her lips, she turned the paper around so Anders could read it. His eyes went wide and he looked over at Fenris. Hitomi peeked as well, and found him watching them.

Neither of them noticed Ms. Satama walking through the aisle.  _ When had she gotten here? _   Hitomi tried to cover the sheet of paper, but didn't get it put away in time.

“He stole my dragon,” Ms. Satama read aloud, and Hitomi's cheeks flamed as the other students laughed.

Fenris cut her a sharp look, all amusement gone from his face, before turning back to look at his own textbook.

“You'll have to leave your fantasy writing for your own time, Hawke,” Ms. Satama joked. “Now, if I have all of your attention, let's begin with page 37.”

Hitomi carefully avoided looking at Fenris anymore until lunch hit. She grabbed her bag, eager to catch up with Rika. Isabela joined her at the door. “Is it okay if I come with you again today?” she asked, as if expecting a no.

“Of course,” Hitomi said, with a small smile.

They went to the roof again. They had gotten there first this time, and set up in the usual spot. Isabela kept looking at her curiously, but didn't say anything. Finally, the pressure apparently got to her, as she blurted out, “So what was that about dragon stealing?”

Hitomi sighed. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to explain her hobby. “I like video games...a lot. I've been trying to beat this boss dragon in Age of Dragons at the arcade for weeks, and last night, I go in to find that  _ Fenris _ beat it before I could,” she explained, and put her head down. “He's a dragon-stealing jerk.”

Isabela burst into laughter. “ _ That’s _ why you’re so mad at him?”

“Well, yeah...and he picks on me.”

“Oh, that's a little different,” Isabela said. “Has he sexually harassed you? Touched you?”

“No.”

“Cornered you in an empty hallway and wouldn't let you out until you promised to do it with him?”

“Of course not! What kind of weird fantasies are going through your head?”

“Only the good kind.” She grinned.

Hitomi was relieved when Rika showed up, with Merrill again.

“Hey you two,” Isabela greeted. “Hitomi was just telling me how Fenris touched her stuff.”

“What?” Merrill asked, shocked.

“Isabela's exaggerating. He beat that boss dragon I've been working on before I could. It made me mad.”

“Oh, speaking of Fenris, I've been hearing a lot of rumors about him lately,” Rika said, leaning in to whisper in a conspiratorial tone. “They're saying he's already rejected three different girls who confessed to him!”

“Really?” Isabela said. “So he's a heart-breaker, too, huh? I'm finding myself more intrigued by the minute.”

“You're not the only one,” Rika added. “All the girls in our class are talking about him. I wouldn't doubt it if he has a fan club soon.”

Hitomi was silent, thinking that over.  _ The other girls like Fenris? I mean, I guess he's good-looking, but he's not even nice. That's it, maybe they don't really know what his personality is like. _

After lunch ended, she and Isabela went back to the classroom. Hitomi was stopped in the hall by Ms. Satama. “Hawke, if you have a minute.” Hitomi stopped, and gestured for Isabela to go on head.

Ms. Satama continued, “I'd like you to stay after class, there's something I want to discuss with you.”

Hitomi could only nod.  _ Was this about the note? No, she would have just yelled at her more then and there. What could this possibly be about? _ She was still a little dazed thinking about it when she returned to her seat. It took her a minute to realize there was a note sitting in her desk.

Looking around to make sure she wasn't noticed this time, she opened it. The handwriting was sloppy, and she didn't recognize it, but she could make out that it read: 'Sorry about the dragon' and was signed 'FENRS'  _ He apologized? _ She looked over, but Fenris wasn't there. Maybe he wasn't back from lunch yet.

Hitomi didn't know what to make of it. She thought back over their interactions.  _ Had he really been a jerk?   _ She remembered running into him, admittedly her fault for running and not watching where she was going. He'd teased her, sure, but was it really any worse than what she received from Rika or Isabela? And now he was apologizing for killing the dragon first.  _ Maybe I misjudged him. _

The sliding door opened at the last minute, and Fenris walked in. He had a troubled expression, his brow wrinkled in frustration and his steps a little more forceful than they should have been. He sat down, never once glancing in her direction. Hitomi looked again at the note in her desk. It still didn't make sense.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitomi accidentally overhears something she shouldn't

Chapter 3: Engage the Enemy

 

The afternoon lesson drug on, and Hitomi, normally a good and attentive student, found her mind wandering, wondering what Ms. Satama wanted. When the bell finally rang, she gave a sigh of relief.

Anders looked at her. “Heading out?” he asked.

“Not yet. Ms. Satama needed something from me.”

“Foiled again,” he commented, shaking his head. “Be careful getting home, okay? You know, come to think of it, I don't think we've exchanged contact information. If you're going to be leaving late, I'd feel better if you could message me if you need me.”

She looked up at him, noticing his hopeful expression. “Of course, Anders. You're a good friend. I trust you with it.” She handed him her phone and he put in his information. She sent him a message, and knew he had hers now. “You be careful, too.”

“Hey, I'm a guy. I'm supposed to be the tough one,” he replied with a laugh. “Good-night Hitomi-chan.” He got up and left, leaving her in the room with Ms. Satama. Fenris was already gone. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with him about the note yet, but she guessed it could wait until tomorrow.

Heading to the front of the class, she addressed her teacher, “Ms. Satama, you wanted to see me?”

“Yes, I hope I didn't worry you. It's nothing bad. I was hoping to convince you to run for student council.”

“What?” Hitomi asked, her eyes going wide. _That's the last thing I expected to hear?_ “Why me?”

“You're a good student and the others seem to look to you as a leader already. I think you'd been a good fit.”

“I don't know...I had planned on just focusing on my studies.”

“This would help you get into a good university.”

Hitomi realized the truth of what she said, but she had never sought out that kind of responsibility before.

“Can I think about it?” Hitomi asked hesitantly.

“Of course, but don't wait too long. Here is the application. I'm going to need it by the first of next week if you plan to run.”

“Thank you, Ms. Satama.”

Hitomi stood outside the door, leaning against the wall. _Today has been a day of surprises. But, I still have some time to figure out what I want_. She put the form into her bag and walked to the shoe lockers, but what she saw caused her to duck back behind the divider: Fenris was talking with a first year girl.

“Senpai,” the girl said in a quiet voice. “I...I like you, will you go out with me?” she asked, her words coming out in a jumble, the syllables all running together.

Fenris paused.  “Motoko, is it? I am afraid I cannot return your feelings.” _Ouch, that poor girl. And Rika wonders why I'm not interested in pursuing a boy. That would be my luck._

“Do you hate me?” Motoko asked, obviously not taking his simple no as an answer.

“I barely know you, why would I hate you?” he asked. _Things must be different in Tevinter, indeed. I don't think he understands what she's asking him._

“So there's already someone you like, then?” Motoko persisted. _I really shouldn't be listening to this._ Hitomi went to head back to the classroom, when Fenris's next words stopped her short.

“There is.” _What? Fenris likes someone? The girls are going to go nuts._

“Who is it? Have you told her?” Motoko questioned.

“I...I am not ready to tell her yet.” _Damn, that Motoko sure is tenacious. I kind of feel bad for Fenris._

“Then...why can't I be good enough for now?” Motoko asked.

His tone changed. “I already told you no. Show a little dignity.” _Yikes._ Hitomi heard Motoko sob and her feet running away. “Wait, I didn’t mean... _kaffas.”_ A sigh.

 _I really should go._ She moved to leave again, but a hand fell on her shoulder, and she found herself pushed up against the row of lockers. Fenris leaned over her, one hand next to her head, blocking her in. “Did you get a good show, _Hitomi-chan?”_

“I didn't _mean_ to listen in, you were the one having that conversation in front of the shoe lockers!” she spat back at him.

“Oh, so the little mouse finally has a backbone?” he growled. “Your boyfriend is not here to protect you this time.”

“What? Are you talking about _Anders?_ He's not my boyfriend,” she said, pushing against his chest, but he doesn't budge.

“No, not Anders, the one who walked you to school. The two of you were laughing, you are obviously close...” he trailed off.

“Walking...that was my little brother. Wait, what does that matter?” She ducked out from under his arm and turned to face him. “I can't believe I fell for your stupid apology note. I was right the first time, you're not a good person.”

His face fell, and she immediately regretted her words.

“Sorry, that was mean of me. I didn't mean that. But you can't go around treating girls like that. Like what you did to Motoko. I'm sure it's just because you're new, and not used to the way things are here, but you need to understand how to handle them better.”

His eyebrows shot up, but then his shoulders slumped. “I know. I keep telling them no, but they do not seem to give up.”

“That's because you're not doing it right.”

He seemed thoughtful. “How should I do it then?”

“Hm...you have to make it sound like the problem lies with you, not them. Like, you could say something like, 'I can't because I don't know when we'll be moving again'.”

“That one might work...but that Motoko girl seemed pretty determined.”

“Yeah...I've never really had to do this myself, either,” Hitomi laughed, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “Guess I'm not much of an expert, sorry. I think I'd just lie and say I had a boyfriend or something, try to spare their feelings.”

“So you _don't_ have one, then?” he asked, grinning.

“Why do you care?” she questioned.

“Because I have an idea. How about _you_ be my girlfriend?” he suggested. “That would keep them away, correct?”

“No, no way. I don't even really know you,” she said.

“It wouldn't have to be for real. We could just pretend to go out for a while, until they back off.”

“That's even worse. Who would agree to a fake relationship?”

His smile didn't falter. “You are going to say yes. If not now, then soon.”

Hitomi narrowed her eyes at him. “Not even if you were the-”

“I can teach you my strategy on Age of Dragons,” he blurted out, interrupting her. “When I beat that boss, I was not even trying very hard.”

She gaped at him. “Still no. I don’t need your _help_.  I'm going home now.”

He moved toward her, and she took a step backwards. “This isn't over, Hitomi.”

She blushed at the informal use of her first name.

“What about the girl you like? You could just tell her how you feel. Then you wouldn't have to have a fake girlfriend,” Hitomi pointed out.

“That is different. Yes, the more I think about this, the more I think it is perfect,” Fenris said.

“Goodnight, Fenris-san,” she said as she walked away from him, and was relieved when he didn't follow her. Hitomi walked over to her shoe locker and opened it. She placed her school shoes inside and slipped on her others. When she emerged from inside, she was happy to see that Fenris was nowhere to be seen.

She couldn't bring herself to go to the arcade, worried that he had headed there after school, so she just went directly home that night. She got in some good study time, which made her mother happy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitomi is happy to be walking to school alone on a rainy morning, but someone has other ideas.

Chapter 4: Improved Strategy

 

Having had a good night's sleep, Hitomi felt rested and left earlier than her siblings the next morning. It was raining, but she had her umbrella. She actually enjoyed days like today. Other people might find it strange, but to her, it felt like the rest of the world was far away, and she was alone. The limited view under her umbrella helped, as did the sound of the rain beating down on it.

She was halfway to school when she thought she heard something. She stopped, listening carefully, and yes, there is was again. Someone was calling her name. She looked around and groaned when she saw him. Fenris was standing under an eave out of the rain. He had no umbrella.  _ Serves him right _

“Hi-to-mi,” he yelled, more insistently. She sighed, and walked over to him.

“Let me guess, you forgot to watch the weather report this morning,” Hitomi said.

“Yes, but I am fortunate that you passed by here.” He darted out from the eave, and before she knew it, he was underneath her umbrella with her. He put his hand on it, and she released it with another sigh.

She found that she had to walk close to him to avoid getting rained on. “This had better not be about what you said yesterday, Fenris-san,” she warned him.

“Just Fenris, and I am glad to see you still have that backbone, Little Mouse. I'd hate to think my Age of Dragons rival had given up.”

She looked up to find him smiling at her, his green eyes sparkling. “Never!” Hitomi vowed vehemently, which earned her a chuckle from above her. “I'll keep that top score, you watch.”

“You're turning out to be full of surprises, Hitomi.”

Despite herself, Hitomi smiled at that. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“The highest.”

They'd reached the school. The rain had slowed down their progress, and they'd lost the advantage of an early start. There were plenty of students heading for the main building, and a few looked their way, noticing the two of them sharing an umbrella.

Hitomi grumbled, “You're on your own on the way home. The rumors are going to bad enough about us because of this already.”

“Good,” he asserted, closing the umbrella now that they had reached the covered walkway, and handed it back to her.

She frowned at him. “I'm going to class. Don't follow me right away, okay?” she instructed him, and went to change her shoes before heading toward the classroom.

“Did you hear?” a female voice said from off to the side as she walked. “Yeah, apparently he rejected Motoko just yesterday afternoon, and then was seen walking in with some girl this morning.”

“The nerve of that girl. Who is she?” another girl's voice sounded.

“I don't know yet. I just heard they were sharing an umbrella, but I intend to find out.”

_ Crap, I knew walking with him was a bad idea.  _ Hitomi quickened her steps, and ducked into the classroom, quickly shutting the door behind her. Making it to her desk, she immediately slumped down into the chair. Peering into the recessed area under her desk, she saw the note from yesterday, grabbed it, and tucked it away in her bag. She had enough reminders of Fenris and his ridiculous plan without seeing the note.

She was relieved when Anders arrived and his familiar form sat in front of her. Isabela came in soon after him. Knowing that they were both there was reassuring.  _ Maybe this won't amount to anything. Hopefully those girls won't even figure out who I was and it will all blow over _ .  Hitomi stared at her blank notebook, lost in thought.

Her phone sounded in her bag.  _ I forgot to turn it off, good thing it happened before class started! _   She looked at the screen was was surprised to see the name ‘Anders’ there. She glanced up at him, and he caught her eye, then nodded at the phone.

She read the message from him: 'You look upset, did something happen? Can I help?'

She typed out her reply carefully: 'I'm okay, weird morning. I'll explain later.'

Another message, it read: 'Join you and Rika for lunch? Assuming it’s not still raining, of course’.

Hitomi looked up and nodded at him. He turned back around, and Hitomi noticed that Fenris had already sat down next to her. Class thankfully started not long after that, and she had something to occupy her attention until lunch.

Anders looked at her once class was over, “I didn't bring anything to eat. I'm gonna go buy something and then I'll meet you on the roof, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed, and looked over at Isabela.

The two of them headed for the door, but just as they left the classroom, she was stopped by a group of four girls. She only knew one of them. Motoko stood in the back, her face downward. The girl in front, the one who was apparently the leader, had brown wavy hair that she flipped back over her shoulder, and she stood with her hand on her hip. “Hitomi Hawke, we need to talk to you,” the girl said, and Hitomi knew  _ exactly _  what this was about.

“I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment,” Hitomi hedged.

“This can't wait,” the girl said and grabbed her by the wrist. She pulled, and Hitomi allowed herself to be led off.

“Isabela, tell Rika I'll be a minute,” she called back to her friend.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, but Hitomi nodded. She didn't want to drag Isabela into her mess, too. She'd handle this herself.

The girls led Hitomi into the girl's toilet, and after checking to make sure they were alone, one girl went to stand guard. The main girl turned to glare at her. “We know you walked to school today with Fenris. Motoko has been upset ever since she tried to confess to him yesterday. This is your fault.”

“How is it my fault?” Hitomi asked.

The girl slapped her, and she took a step backward, holding her cheek in shock.  _ This isn't a simple 'talk'. _

“You think so highly of yourself, hanging onto Fenris like that. It's not just disgusting, it's cruel. You need to take responsibility for Motoko's feelings. We might be willing to forgive you...if you agree to stay away from Fenris.”

“I don't see you telling  _ him  _ to stay away from  _ me _ ,” Hitomi insisted, and the main girl was angered even further.

“Hold her,” she said to the others. Motoko shook her head, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of violence. The other girl went to make a grab for Hitomi. She dodged backwards, and was able to break out of her grasp. The girl guarding the door looked at Motoko and sighed.

“At least keep watch,” she told Motoko, and came to assist the other girl in attacking Hitomi. She struggled against them, but eventually they backed her against the wall.

“Stop this, I don't want to have to fight you,” Hitomi said.

“Listen to you, you still haven’t learned anything. You need to be taught your place,” the main girl snarled.

“Natsuki, there's a teacher coming,” Motoko said from the doorway, her voice wavering.

“Looks like you lucked out this time. Stay away from Fenris, or we'll continue this discussion later,” she said, and the girls filed out of the bathroom.

Hitomi exhaled a breath she hadn't known she was holding.  _ Maybe I shouldn't have antagonized them like that. Or maybe I should have punched that girl.  _ She waffled back and forth between the two ideas, but ultimately decided just to try to forget it for now.

She went to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Sure enough, she could see the beginnings of a bruise on the side of her cheek. She pulled her hair down closer to her face, and found it hit the majority of it. Taking out her handkerchief, she added a little cool water and held it to her cheek for a few minutes, hoping that it would keep it from swelling.

She heard someone coming, so she ducked into one of the stalls and shut the door, hugging her knees to her chest to avoid them being visible. The voices weren't familiar, and just passed in the hall.  _ How was she going to do this? _    Her mother would be furious if she heard she got into a fight. And she could forget student council if that happened. She wanted to be mad at Fenris, but he had already shown that he was clueless about girls. There's no way he would have known this would happen.

Lunch was nearly over. She wished she had cosmetics or something to cover the bruise, but she didn't normally wear such things. She sighed, and decided just to head back to class. She pulled her hair down around her face, and put her head down.  _ It's the best I can do. Maybe no one will notice. _

The hallway was thankfully deserted, and when she went into the classroom, only Fenris was there.  _ Really? Of all the rotten luck. _  She headed toward her seat, determined to ignore him, but he stepped between the desks and stood in her way.

“What is wrong? You've been different ever since this morning...wait, what is that?” he asked.

Hitomi turned her face away from him, but he stepped toward her and put a hand on her hair.

“Hitomi, look at me,” he said.

She raised her eyes to meet his. His hand moved to tuck her hair behind her ear, brushing her bruised cheek, and he frowned.

“Someone hit you?” he asked quietly. “This is fresh. What just happened?”

“Your fan club didn't like that you shared my umbrella,” Hitomi gave a wry laugh. “They probably wouldn't be too happy with me right now, either, being alone in a classroom with you. You should just leave me alone.”

“This is my fault?” he asked, hurt and confusion mixing on his face before it became a mask of anger. “Who are these girls? I will set them straight.”

“Girls in Tevinter must be different.”

“If a guy had tried that, I would have punched him. Girls, I'm still trying to figure out.” He sighed.

“Oh, I  _ really _  wanted to hit the one girl,” Hitomi admitted.

“Why didn't you?” Fenris asked.

“Because I could get kicked out for fighting. Or at least it would damage my reputation and make it impossible to be on student council.”

“You wanted to run for student council? A gamer girl like you?” he joked.

“What's so funny about that? I'm not a bad student.” She sighed. “Honestly, I hadn't really thought about it seriously until just now. I thought it would be too much responsibility. Maybe it's better if I don't do it.”

Fenris was frowning again. “I am going to fix this,” he promised, and put his hand on her shoulder.

Her phone buzzed, catching both their attentions. She picked it up. Rika and Isabela were both looking for her. She sent a quick message letting them know something came up and she was back in the classroom.

“This Rika is a good friend,” Fenris commented, peeking over her shoulder, a smile crossing his features. She realized she wasn't thinking of him as dangerous anymore, despite his tattoos.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“The tattoos. Are they normal in Tevinter? I met this girl, Merrill, recently, and she said her people routinely have tattoos in their culture.”

He looked away. “No, mine are...unique. But you missed lunch now, right? Do you want to go somewhere after school to eat? I’ll treat you as an apology for causing you problems.”

Hitomi thought about it for a minute. It was obvious that he was trying to change the subject, but his apology seemed sincere.  She realized she didn't know much about Fenris at all, and it would be an opportunity to talk a bit more. “Okay,” she agreed.

“Really? It's a date then.”

“Wait, what?!” Hitomi choked. “I didn't agree to that!”

“Too late, we are dating now,” he teased.

“WHAT?” Isabela gasped from the doorway. “When were you two going to say something?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitomi and Fenris have dinner together.

Chapter 05: Level Up

 

Hitomi pulled her hair back down, and Fenris shook his head at her.  “No, don’t hide it from them, they are your friends.”

_ They?   _ Hitomi glanced up to see that Anders had returned with Isabela, as well.  Fenris gently pushed her hair back again with his fingers and Isabela hissed. 

“Those little…do you want to end them, or should I?” Isabela asked to both boys.

“I’ve had worse from wrestling with Carver,” Hitomi reassured them.  “I’m fine.  I don’t want to make a big deal about it.”

“And where were you, if you’re her boyfriend now?” Anders demanded of Fenris.

“I didn’t know it was happening.  I had no idea the girls here are so...frightening,” Fenris stated.

“You got that right,” Anders conceded.  “But they probably targeted Hitomi-chan because of you.  You need to handle this.”

Fenris nodded.  “I will.”

Hitomi frowned.  She hadn’t said anything to contradict his statement about him being her boyfriend, and now she wondered why she hadn’t.  It wasn’t as though Isabela and Anders would be mad at the misunderstanding.  She considered it for a while.  True, if everyone thought they were going out, it  _ would _ likely make the fan club girls back off, especially if Fenris asked them to.  Then too, Rika would probably give up trying to get her to date if she thought she already had a boyfriend.   _ Maybe there is a benefit in this fake relationship thing. _

She looked at Fenris and found him studying her.  She blushed.   _ Can I really do this? _

The other students started to come back after lunch then, and they didn’t have time to discuss it much further.  Fenris leaned over and whispered to her, “We’ll go find those girls before we leave later.”

Hitomi nodded.  Best to get it out of the way soon.  Hitomi pulled her hair back out from behind her ear and kept her face tilted down toward her desk throughout the rest of the school day.

When class ended, Anders turned around in his seat to look at her.  “You’re busy this afternoon, right?”  He glanced at Fenris, who was gathering his things.  A wrinkle crossed his brow briefly, but disappeared.  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”  He stood up and walked out of the classroom.

Fenris approached her.  “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, but what are you going to say to them?” Hitomi questioned.

“I am simply going to tell them the truth - that you are my girlfriend now.”

Hitomi gave a small nervous laugh.

“Are we back to the mouse?”  Fenris grinned. 

“No...I just…” Hitomi struggled to find the right words, and adjusted her grip on her bag.  “I know that this is fake and all, but I’ve never actually had a boyfriend before.  I’m not sure how to do this.”

It was Fenris’s turn to look uncomfortable, but then he shook his head and smiled, reaching out a hand to pat her head.  “You’re fine as you are, Hitomi.  You don’t have to be anything but yourself.  Let’s go.”

They walked together down the hallway, and it wasn’t long before they spotted Natsuki.  Seeing the two of them together, she turned to walk away, but Fenris called out, “Stop!”  Natsuki froze and waited as they approached.  

“I have something I need to say to you and your friends,” Fenris stated plainly.  “Will you tell them to meet us behind the school?”

She nodded, and pulled out her phone.  After sending a few messages, she moved her head, gesturing for them to follow, and they walked down the back stairs to the lot in back of the school.  Thankfully, the rain had stopped earlier in the day, leaving only small pools of water as a reminder of this morning’s showers.

Motoko and the two other girls appeared a moment later.

“Is this all of them?” Fenris asked Hitomi.  She nodded.

“I need you to know something," he said to them.  "Hitomi is the girl I like, and she agreed to be my girlfriend.  I want you to respect my feelings for her.  If I hear about you saying one unkind word to her again, I won’t go easy on you.”

Hitomi knew it was all fake, but his words caused her heart to flutter.   _ What would it be like to have him say those words about her for real?  But no, he has someone he really liked.  He told Motoko that.  This is just for convenience. _

The girls murmured their acknowledgement, and mild apologies.  Motoko looked like she was about ready to burst into tears at any minute, but Hitomi was just glad it was over.  She really didn’t want to have to fight any of the girls from school.

Fenris led her away, and they walked together in awkward silence.  Finally he spoke up, “Are there any foods you dislike?  Or do you have somewhere you would like to go for dinner?”

Hitomi thought for a moment.  “There aren’t any foods I don’t like, but you don’t have to do this.  Talking to them was enough.”

“So I get to pick then,” he asserted, ignoring her protest.  “How about ramen?  There’s a place down the street from the arcade that I’ve been meaning to try.”

Hitomi was about to insist again that he didn’t have to treat her, when her stomach growled.  They both stopped, and Fenris laughed, the sound deep in his chest.  Hitomi found herself chuckling, as well.  

“I guess I’m hungry after all.  Ramen _does_ sound good,” she acknowledged.

“Then it is settled.”

Hitomi was quiet for another moment, but then decided to just break the ice.  “If I'm going to do this, I should know more about you.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Hmm, you said in class the other day that your father moved you here.”

He sighed.  “Yes.  My dad travels a lot for work, so he is often gone.”

“Is your mother here?”

“No...I have no memories of her, but I am fairly certain she is dead.”

“How do you not know?”

His lips press together, but he nods.  “I suppose I should tell you.  Hitomi...I was in an accident when I was younger, and I have no memories from before that time.  There are some days I even question that my father is my real father.”

“What?!”

“Just a feeling I get.  He says it’s because I cannot remember all the time we spent together when I was growing up.  I’m sure he probably is right, but he gets angry every time I try to talk about it.”

She looked at him, concern furrowing her brow.  “Wow, I never would have known you had been through something like that.”

“It’s not a subject I really like talking about, but since you’re going to be my girlfriend, I thought you ought to know.”

“Did your accident affect you in any other ways?”

“Mostly just my memory, although it affected a few of my skills, as well.  I had to learn to read and write all over again after that.  The doctors were baffled at how I seemed otherwise healthy.”

Hitomi mulled this over, and jumped a little when Fenris spoke.

“Out of questions?”

“Of course not, I’m just wondering now if I should ask them.”

He smiled, stopping to look down at her.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  I  _ wanted _ you to know about me.”

She returned his small smile.

“What about you?" he asked.  "Tell me about growing up with siblings. I have none, at least not that I can remember.”

“I think you might be the lucky one.  Being the oldest is tough.  Bethany is sweet, but she’s really popular and likes to borrow my things without asking.  Carver is often a little too serious, but is excellent at athletics.  It’s nice that our family is close, but it can get a bit annoying at times.  There are days I just wish for some peace and quiet.”

“Is that why you like video games?”

“Yeah, it gets me out of my head and lets me escape for a bit.  It’s nice.”

They walked down the road toward the arcade, the first part of the route known to both of them.  She’d never been to this ramen place before, however, and was looking forward to it.  Reaching the small establishment, Fenris pulled open the curtain and held it for her as they both ducked inside.

She chose one of the stools and sat her bag next to it.  Fenris took the stool next to hers.

They looked at the options, but Hitomi couldn’t decide so she let Fenris choose for her.  The steaming ramen was delicious, some of the best she’d ever had.  After finishing the bowl, she sat back a little, content.

Fenris finished paying, and returned to her.  “Do you have to go home right away?  I have an idea.”

She thought about it.  Dinner hadn’t really taken that long, and she’d texted Bethany to let their mother know she’d be home a late because she was meeting up with a friend.

“I have a little time, what’s the idea?” she asked.

“I want to show you something,” was all he would say.

They left the ramen shop and headed down the street.  She expected him to stop by the arcade, but was surprised when he passed it and kept going.  They walked up a steep hill, followed by a set of steps.   _ Where is he taking me? _

They finally came to the top of a rise, and there was a small tunnel in the wall on the right.  It was dark, and she hesitated.  Fenris turned back to look at her.  “I’ve been here a dozen times.  It’s safe.” He smoothed down his silver hair again, then reached out a hand for her.

She took it, as the ground looked uneven, and followed him into the dark tunnel, ducking down to avoid hitting her head.  The tunnel quickly took a turn to the right, then back to the left, and finally opened back out onto a small platform.  

The view was spectacular, and for a moment, Hitomi was speechless.  The entire city was splayed out before them and the nearby cherry trees on the hill were casting their pale pink petals down around them.

“It’s amazing, right?  I don’t know if anyone else even knows about this place.  I found it one day when I didn’t want to go home to my father.”

They both realized at the same time that he was still holding her hand, and Hitomi let go.  Fenris let her.

She commented, “It’s  beautiful.  There’s the city in front of us, but it feels like we’re a million miles away from it up here.”

“Yes, it is a peaceful place.  Your statement about wanting peace and quiet made me think about it.  You are welcome to come here, with or without me, anytime you like.”

“You know, what I said the other day, about you not being a good person...I didn’t mean that, Fenris.”

He smiled.  “You said my name.”

“Oh, so I did,” Hitomi said with a laugh.  “I guess maybe we’ve gotten a little closer.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the weekend, and Hitomi heads to the arcade.

Chapter 06: The Second Stage

 

The next few days passed pleasantly enough.  Fenris started joining Hitomi and the others for lunch, and seemed accepted well enough by the others.  His fan club girls watched her with a wary eye, but did not try to approach her again, which was a relief.  Fenris also walked home with her, sometimes with Rika or the twins, parting ways to go down his street not far from where she had met him the one rainy morning.

The weekend finally arrived, and Hitomi was looking forward to getting in some time at the arcade.  She shouted her goodbyes as she ran out of the house late that morning.  Rain threatened to start again today, but Hitomi was prepared again with her umbrella.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run into Fenris again today, but found herself disappointed when she walked into the arcade and he wasn’t there.

“Morning, Hawke-chan,” Touma greeted her.

“Morning,” she called cheerfully, and headed directly for the Age of Dragons machine.  Thankfully, there was no one on it, and she was able to get right into it.  She was happy to see her name still at the top of the leaderboard.   _ Did Fenris stop playing?   _  The early parts of the first stage felt tedious today, but she was able to get past it relatively quickly.  Onto the boss dragon; it went a lot easier this time, as she had learned the strategy.  Use mana potions, keep a barrer going, save health potions for later.

Moving past the dragon, she gained a bit more ground than she had before, and then she encountered something new: a group of blood mages.  They threw up barriers of their own.  

“You can’t hit them when they have their barriers up like that; you have to wait,” a familiar voice said behind from behind her.   _ Fenris.   _ Hitomi smiled, but tried not to let her concentration break.  “Hit the minions first,” he instructed.

“I know!” she protested.  “Sheesh, if you wanna play so bad, jump in as Player 2 and join me, already.”

Hitomi heard money being pulled into the cash feeder, and a new character popped up next to hers, a two-handed warrior.  Hitomi always played as a mage, so she’d always just had the standard computer-ran warriors, but she knew what to do.  She cast barrier again, including his character in the area of effect to keep him healthy as he waded in to deal with the blood mages.  

“Thanks for the buff,” he muttered, focused on the game.

It was fun, the teamwork, and they quickly took out the blood mages.  The last of them blinked out of existence with a cry.

She flashed a grin at Fenris and he turned to look down at her, a smile on his own face.  She again noticed the white lines of the strange tattoos that traced down his chin and disappeared into the collar of his blue shirt.  He was dressed casually today, in a button-up shirt, with blue vertical stripes, a darker blue t-shirt, and dark jeans.  It was a good look on him.  She wondered about her own choice of outfit: a short-sleeved mint-green shirt with lace ruffles around the collar and sleeves, and a darker green skirt that went just above the knee.  A little conservative, but she’d hoped it looked cute.

His face came closer, and he reached out a hand, making her blush.  He ruffled her hair.  “Pay attention to the game, Klutz, or you are going to get us killed.”  She laughed and turned back to the screen.

A short while later, they had both exhausted all of their lives in the game and Hitomi sat back in her seat with a satisfied sigh.  “That...that was  _ awesome!” _  Hitomi said.  “Why haven’t we played games together before now?” she wondered.

“I didn’t think you’d want to.  You seemed upset when I had defeated the dragon boss before you.”

“That’s when I didn’t like you.”

“Oh, so you  _ like _ me now?  Good to know.”  He smirked.

“I didn’t say that!”

“Too late now, you cannot take it back,” he teased.  Looking over her head, he grunted, “You have got to be kidding.”

“What is it?  Oh, it’s raining again.  Don’t you ever watch the weather report?  It was pretty obvious today.”

“Walk me home?” he asked.

“The guy is supposed to walk the girl home, not the other way around.”

“Humor me.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Fine.  Let’s go.  Anywhere you need to stop on the way?”

He shook his head, and they got up to leave.

“Bye you two, come again!” Touma waved to both of them.

They walked out the door to the tinkling sound of bells.  Hitomi handed the umbrella to Fenris, and stood under the eave as he opened it.  She walked next to him.  She knew the way to his street, so she didn’t have to pay much attention to where she was going.  

“Can you believe the theme our class ended up going with for the school festival?”  Fenris asked, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I think an animal cafe will be cute.”

“You’re not the one who has to wear wolf ears.”

Hitomi imagined Fenris wearing them.  They’d be white, of course, to match his hair color.   _ That would be really cute. _

“What were you picturing right now?  Stop it or I’ll take your umbrella and leave you in the rain.”

“Hey!”

He chuckled and grinned at her.  “What do you expect from a wolf?”

Hitomi laughed at that.  “That’s the wrong way to get me to stop picturing it, you know.  The only reason I don’t have to wear something weird is because I’m getting the food ready in the back.  They’re both important jobs.”

Fenris paused.  “Maybe...maybe I don’t…” he trailed off, inaudible.

“What?  I couldn’t hear you over the rain.”

“Maybe I don’t mind wearing it for you,” he said.  Hitomi looked up, but his head was turned the other way.   _ Is he blushing? _

“Oh.  I’ll look forward to it then,” she said with a small laugh.  

They reach his street, and turned down it.  Hitomi had a thought.  “We haven’t exchanged contact information yet, have we?  If you’re supposed to be my boyfriend, wouldn’t you have my number?”

He stopped and fished his phone out of his pocket with the other hand, handing it to her.  Hitomi put in her information as they resumed walking and sent a message to herself so that she could get it later.  She handed the phone back with a smile, but Fenris wasn’t smiling.  In fact, he looked angry.

“Fenris?” Hitomi asked.

“My dad is home,” he stated flatly.  “Hitomi, maybe you should -  _ venhidis,  _ it’s too late.  Just let me do the talking.”

_ Why is Fenris so unhappy about seeing his father? _  Hitomi remembered him telling her about his accident that took his memory, and how he and his father hadn’t really been close after that.  Fenris had even questioned if he really was his son.  She looked at the man who was already striding toward them.  He had gray hair, slicked back from his head in a sophisticated style.  He was dressed in a gray suit and was holding an umbrella of his own.  She looked between him and Fenris, but she wasn’t sure if she could see a resemblance, either.

“Get in the house, Fenris,” the man said coldly, his expression not changing.

“Father-” Fenris started, but was cut off.

“I came home to spend time with you.  Send your  _ friend _ away.”

“You could be a little more hospitable.  Hitomi-chan was kind enough to walk me home when I had no umbrella,” Fenris said, his hands clenched and Hitomi was startled to see the tattoos under his skin began to glow with a blue light.  She stared in a mix of confusion and shock.

“Don’t embarrass me, Fenris.  That’s enough.”

“Hitomi, it is probably best if you just go,” Fenris said, his head hanging low, hair hiding his eyes from her, but his voice sounded defeated.  He handed back the umbrella and walked into the house without a single glance backwards.  His father remained, and watched until Fenris closed to the door behind him.

Turning to her, the gray-haired man asked, “What was your name, girl?”

Hitomi stood up a little straighter, suddenly second-guessing her choice of clothing again.  “Hitomi Hawke, sir.”

“Miss Hawke, you may think you know Fenris, but he’s been through a lot.  His health is still fragile after the accident.  Your presence is adding too much pressure to him.  I hope I’m making myself clear.”

_ I’m hurting Fenris?  Is that what the blue light was about?  Why didn’t he say anything? _  “I...I don’t want to hurt Fenris,” Hitomi acknowledged.

“Good.  Goodbye, Miss Hawke.”  He turned on his heel, entered the house and closed the door.  Hawke stood for a moment looking at the house.  It was a nice two-story with a stone wall with a gate in front.  Looking at it, you never would know the turmoil that went on within.   _ I hope Fenris is okay. _  She sadly turned and started walking home.   _ There’s nothing I can do about it today. _

Opening the door at home, she could already hear the twins arguing.  “I’m home,” she called to the house, and walked inside, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Fenris was going through.  Once in her room, she checked her phone.  The message was there that she had sent herself, but nothing else.  She saved his contact information.   _ It was probably best not to create more problems for him with his dad right now. _  She decided she would ask him at school in a couple of days if she hadn’t heard anything by then.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 07:Invisible Wall

 

Fenris didn’t make contact that weekend.  Hitomi was still worried, and hurried to school, hoping to meet him on the way.  She looked down his street and in the place she had found him when it was raining, but he wasn’t there.   _Maybe he already left_.  Hitomi spotted Rika and waved at her.

“Morning, Hitomi-chan!” Rika said in a cheerful tone.

“Hey Rika,” Hitomi replied, but couldn’t manage to put the same enthusiasm to her greeting.

“What’s wrong?” Rika asked, falling into step beside her.  “Boy trouble?”

Hitomi stopped and glanced at her.

“I’m right!  Hm...let me guess, he didn’t call?”

She slumped.  She wasn't sure if Rika was that perceptive, or just a really good guesser.

“Boys are so stupid sometimes.  Why didn’t you message him or something?”

“It’s a little complicated,” Hitomi started, and proceeded to tell her friend what had happened yesterday when they got to Fenris's house.

“What?!  And then Fenris hasn’t called you?  What is that boy thinking?”

“I wish I knew,” Hitomi admitted.  “I’m worried about him.  I mean, what if I really am affecting his health?  I guess I’ll get a chance to talk to him at school, at least.”

They reached the school, and went straight to the shoe lockers before splitting up to go to their separate classes.  Hitomi was early, and there were only a few people in class.  Fenris wasn’t in his seat yet.   _Maybe I was just too early to meet up with him today._  Anders was already there and smiled at her when she walked over.  

“Hey Hitomi-chan, have a good weekend?” he asked.

“Not bad.  I got a little further in Age of Dragons.”  Hitomi considered telling him about Fenris, but decided telling Rika was enough.  She didn’t want to make things awkward for him by talking about his illness.  She’d asked Rika not to mention it to Merrill or anyone else.

“You should have said something.  I haven’t been to the arcade in ages,” he commented.

“Maybe next time, then.”

Isabela came in and sat in her seat.

“Bela, earrings,” Hitomi said to her, and Isabela startled.

“Oops, forgot I had them on again,” she admitted with a chuckle.  “I’m so used to wearing them when I’m not at school.  Jewelry is a lot more common in Rivain, I don’t see what the big deal is about it.”

The rest of the class finished arriving, but Fenris wasn’t there.   _Is he running late?  Oh no, is he sick?_  Hitomi pulled out her phone.  Still no contact.  She typed a quick message to Fenris: ‘Are you okay?’ and put the phone silent as class was about to start.  

He didn’t show.  Hitomi made sure to take detailed notes that day, to share with him later.  She sighed when lunch came, looking over at his empty chair.  She checked her phone again, but there was still no response.  She got up to go meet the girls for lunch.

“Anders, you coming to lunch?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I actually packed something today...but where is Fenris?”

“I’m not sure.  I think he might be sick.”

“Are you planning on going to visit later?” he asked.

“I'm thinking about it.”

“I think he’d like that.  Well, I can’t imagine any guy _not_ being happy that his girlfriend wants to take care of him.  I know I would be,” he said, looking away.

“Then I’ll go,” Hitomi decided, and felt a little better.   _But, what if his dad doesn’t let me see him?_  That thought killed her excitement, but she still wanted to try, regardless.  They went to the roof to meet the others.

*              *             *

When class finally ended for the day, she checked her phone one more time.  Nothing.  She picked up her bag and got ready to leave.

Ms. Satama called out to her, “Hawke, if you could stay behind for a minute.”

“I’ll wait for you at the gate and walk with you,” Anders offered.  “It’s not often I get to these days.”

“Okay, that sounds nice.  I want to stop by that little market, though, on the way, the one that has the good produce.  See you in a bit.”

He nodded, and left the classroom.

“Hawke, you never turned in your application for student council,” the teacher said.

Hitomi honestly hadn’t even given the application another thought after the day she discussed it with Fenris.  That alone was telling.  She’d been so focused on Fenris that she’d forgotten all about it.  Maybe she shouldn’t add anything else to her schedule right now.  She answered, “Sorry, Ms. Satama, but I think I’m just going to focus on my studies for now.”

“Okay, I can’t say I’m not a little disappointed, but I understand.”

Hitomi left, feeling a bit guilty.   _Had she made the right decision about student council?_ The teacher had been right; playing video games wasn’t going to get her into a good university, but joining the student council might have.  She changed out of her shoes and walked to the gate.  She wasn't surprised that Bethany and Carver weren’t waiting with Anders.  Carver probably had basketball practice, since he decided to join the team.  Bethany had been spending more and more time with her ever growing group of friends.

She tried to remember the last time it had just been her and Anders.  They’d grown up a few streets apart.  He lived a bit further out now, but she had a lot of fond memories of their childhood together.

“Ready to go?” he asked, smiling.

“Yep.”

They walked the tree-lined streets together, and Anders was careful to make sure he had the side next to the street.  

“Did something happen with Fenris?” Anders asked.

Hitomi sighed.  “Sort of.  I met his dad, and he implied Fenris isn’t well, and that I’m somehow making it worse.  That was two days ago, and I haven’t heard from him since.”

“ _That selfish little_...he shouldn’t make you worry like that.  How hard is it to send a message telling you that he’s okay?”  Anders’s jaw ticked.  

“I just hope his dad will let me see him.”

“You’re not going there by yourself.”

“Huh?”

“If his dad is like that...not to mention, you shouldn’t be alone with a guy at his house, Hitomi-chan.”

“Oh.  Right.” She blushed.  “Guess it’s a good thing you decided to come with me, then.”

They walked to the small market.  Hitomi picked out a few apples, paid for her purchase, and they continued to Fenris’s house.  Standing outside again reminded her of his father’s words, delivered in a flat tone, telling her that her presence was putting pressure on Fenris.  He hadn’t even been angry.  She sighed.

“It’s okay, Hitomi.  We’re here together,” Anders reminded her.  “Want me to push the buzzer?”

“No, I’ll do it.”  She walked to the speaker and pushed the buzzer.  There was no response for a minute, and then the deep tone of Fenris’s voice came over the loudspeaker.  “Yes?”

“It’s Hitomi.  Anders and I came to see you.  Can we come in?”

“Just a moment.” The intercom clicked off.

They waited, and the door finally opened to reveal Fenris standing there.  He looked healthy enough.   _Maybe he wasn’t sick, after all._

“I thought you might be sick, so I brought you my notes from school and something to eat.,” Hitomi stated.

“Come in.”  Fenris stepped inside, and gestured for them to follow.  

They walked in and removed their shoes, then followed Fenris into the living room area.  A comfortable-looking couch sat across from a large flat-screen television, and was surrounded by several end tables.  Nothing overtly fancy, but everything matched and seemed to be made of good quality materials.

“Is it really okay for us to come in?” Hitomi asked.

“Yes, my father left again this afternoon so he should be gone for a few days at least,” he responded.

“Are you going to tell her why you didn’t answer her message?” Anders asked.  “You had Hitomi-chan worried sick.”

Hitomi blushed at Anders’s direct question, embarrassed to admit she had been worried.

Fenris sighed.  “It was my father.  He’s grown...strange lately.  Hitomi, remember how I told you how he kept saying my memory loss was causing our distant relationship?  He’s been insistent that we spend time together.  He hates that he has to work on the road all the time, and gets angry if I’m not here when he gets back.”

“He said…” Hitomi hesitated.  “He said you weren’t in good health and that I was putting too much pressure on you.”

“That bastard,” Fenris grumbled.  “He shouldn’t have said that to you.  Anders...would you give us a few minutes alone?”

Anders nodded, and headed to the front door.  “I’ll be by the gate, but I’m coming back inside in a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” Hitomi said to him as he exited.

When the door closed and he knew they were alone, he looked at her.  “It’s about my tattoos.  I don’t have any memory of getting them, but it’s not hard to see that they’re not normal.  You saw what happened outside the other day.  Whenever I get...emotional, they tend to glow.  I’ve asked Father about it, but like everything about my accident, he doesn’t want to talk about it.  If there even _was_ an accident.”

“You think he’s lying about the accident?”

“No...I don’t know.  I just wish I understood why he acts the way he does.  There are no pictures of my mother in this house.  I’ve never visited her grave, and we can’t talk about anything about my accident.”

“What does it feel like when you...when your tattoos do the glowing thing?”

He sighs.  “It hurts, but feels right at the same time.   Sometimes, I see things.  I want to think they’re memories, but I’m not sure.”

“The glow brings back your memories?  Could there be something he doesn’t want you to remember?”

“I’ve thought of that, yes.  Father is not really a cruel man.  He is good to me when we are together, provided I don’t bring up Mother or the accident.  Maybe there’s a reason I _shouldn’t_ remember.  What if it’s something horrible?”

Hitomi thinks about it.  Protecting his child is something a good father would do, if that’s the case.  Without knowing more, maybe she shouldn’t judge him so harshly.

“I’m not sure either, but I’m glad you told me, Fenris.”

“I thought you might be afraid of me, after what happened.  I am sorry I did not respond to your message.”

“Of course I’m not afraid of you!  I’m your friend, I want to be here for you.” The word “friend” felt odd to her.   _Was that what they were?_  She thought about the past few days, and her worry.   _That’s what someone would do for a friend, right?  It didn’t have to mean more than that._  But even as she had the thought, she knew it wasn’t completely true.  Fenris’s smile just now made her heart melt.

Anders returned then, and she was relieved not to have to examine that thought any closer.  She looked down at her bag, and the two apples it contained.

“I didn’t know what was wrong, exactly, so I bought you a couple of apples.  You don’t have to eat them if you don’t want to, but I thought since I was coming over…” she stopped, feeling embarrassed at having jumped to conclusions.

“It was a nice gesture, thank you.  And I have an idea on something we can do with your notes.”

He took out his phone and snapped pictures of the handwritten notes.  “Now you don’t have to worry about leaving them with me.”

“I wasn’t worried about the notes,” she protested.  “So...I’m not hurting you, then, by being around you?”

“Definitely not, Hitomi.  I’ll be back at school tomorrow.”

“Good.  Glad to hear you worked it out,” Anders said a little curtly.  “It’s getting a little late, we should get going.”

“Of course, you’re right.  Goodbye, Fenris.  I'll see you in the morning.”


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 08: Gearing Up

 

The next day, Fenris met up with her and Rika as they walked to school.  Hitomi told herself she had not been looking forward to it, but she was really pleased that they got to spend the extra time together.  The weather had improved from the other day, and a light breeze was blowing, making the walk quite pleasant.  Fenris endured Rika’s good-natured questioning about him “ghosting” her.   _ Really, that girl and her terminology! _

They split up from Rika once they arrived, as usual, and went to the classroom.  The two of them were some of the last to arrive today, having taken their time in getting there.  The class was already buzzing about the animal cafe event for the festival.

The class got to work designing what the room would look like, and how they would manage the menu.  Even Isabela was getting excited. 

“We didn’t have these sort of events back home,” she said.  “It’s good to see everyone so enthusiastic about it.  And you say people from other schools even show up?”

“Yeah, I know why you’re interested,” Hitomi said, giving Isabela a sly look.

“What, just because  _ you _ have a boyfriend now doesn’t mean the rest of us have stopped looking!  I’m still jealous that you stole Fenris before I could get a chance to talk to him,” she teased, leaning on Hitomi’s shoulder.

“I believe I was the one to do the stealing,” Fenris replied with a grin.

Hitomi laughed, but stopped when she realized Anders wasn’t with them anymore.   _ Where did he go? _  She looked back at Isabela.

“He got up a minute ago,” she responded to the unanswered question.  “Probably just needed the toilet or something.”

Hitomi nodded, and they get back to planning the event.  She was assigned to cooking some of the sweets the cafe would be serving.  Thankfully, her job would mostly be done ahead of time, meaning she would only have to plate them and send them out that night.

But that meant she needed to get to work on them now, as the festival was in a couple of days.  In the pantry of the home economics room, she saw the ingredient she needed.  Of course, it was on the top shelf, one she couldn’t reach.  She looked around, but saw no ladder or step stool, and she was the only one in the room.   _ Everyone else is busy, I should just get it myself.   _ She tested the shelf for strength, and believed it would hold her.  She had climbed two shelves up, and just managed to reach the package when a voice behind her startled her.

“What are you doing?  Be careful!” Fenris reprimanded.

She nearly fell, and he grabbed onto her waist to steady her.  The realization that she was inadvertently showing more than she meant to in climbing in her uniform skirt, along with the feeling of his touch on her waist sent the blood rushing to her cheeks and she lost her grip.  She winced, expecting to hit the ground hard, but the jarring fall never came.  

She peeked gingerly, and discovered that she was laying on top of Fenris, his arms around her.  He’d obviously caught her as she fell.  She looked up at his face, mere inches from hers.  His gaze was warm, causing a flutter in her chest.  She felt irresistibly drawn in by him and his bright green eyes.  Their faces drew a little closer, and Hitomi closed her eyes.

“Where did Fenris go?” a girl’s voice sounded from the other room.  

They were both startled, and Hitomi scrambled to get up.  She brushed off her skirt, her cheeks aflame from what had almost just happened.   _ What was I thinking?  Fenris was about to kiss me, right?  But what about the girl he likes? _

She sighed and watched him go back into the other room.  She couldn’t deny what she felt anymore.   _ I like Fenris. _ _ Maybe it’s time to end this fake relationship.  It’s becoming too painful. _  She looked down at the packaged ingredient on the ground.   _ A little dented, but at least I managed to get it,  _  she thought.   _ I’ll have to find time to talk to Fenris alone later. _  She went back to work, and managed to make a few batches of passable sweets for the cafe, storing them in the large refrigerator for later.

She took her lunch break with the others, as usual, but let them do most of the talking today.  She just wasn’t quite feeling up to talking about boys again, or the even the festival.  She was happy when it was over and she could go back to class.  When she sat down, she found Fenris watching her, but she looked away from him.  Her phone vibrated.

It was him, of course.  It read: ‘You are upset.  Are you angry about earlier?’

She replied: ‘I’m not angry, no.  Can we talk after school?  Just the two of us?’

He nodded at her, and Hitomi felt a bit of relief, even if her heart hurt.  Knowing she didn’t have to wait too long to talk to him took some of the pressure off.  She didn’t know how she was going to keep up the pretense much longer.  The idea of it ending also made her sad, but he was never meant to be hers.  He had someone he liked, and had only pretended to go out with her to keep the other girls away.

The phone buzzed again.  Anders:  ‘You okay?  Did he do something again?’ 

She typed: ‘Not really, it’ll be okay.  Just have something on my mind.’

He turned around in his seat, and looked at her closely, as though trying to decipher the meaning of her words from her expression.  She gave him a smile, attempting to reassure him.

“Are we walking home together today?” he asked.

“I have something I have to take care of after class,” she said, breaking eye contact.  

“Okay.” 

Ms. Satama called class back to attention and the afternoon sessions started.  Hitomi’s apprehension grew as the day wore on.   _ I can do this.  I want Fenris to be happy, don’t I? _   There was no other option.  Fenris didn’t like her the way she liked him.  It wouldn’t be fair to hang onto him.

She barely paid any attention to the afternoon lessons, only taking a few notes, and when the bell finally sounded the end of the day, she jumped a little.  She gathered her things, and looked to Fenris.  He nodded and followed her out.  They went up to the roof, where they could have privacy.

Fenris’s forehead was wrinkled in worry, but he didn’t say anything, waiting for her to speak.  Hitomi built up her courage.   _ It’s time. _

Hitomi took a deep breath.  “I think we should end this,” she said.   _ Ugh, this hurts more than I thought it would. _

Fenris sighed.  “Are you sure this is what you want?”

_ What does he mean?   _ “You have someone else you like and the fan club girls have backed off.  There’s no reason for us to continue with this fake relationship.”

A hiss sounded from the doorway.  Anders growled, “I knew something was off about this.”  He strode over to Hitomi and stood between her and Fenris, glaring at him.  He turned back to Hitomi.  “A fake relationship?  How did he get you to go along with something like this?  Did he threaten you?”

“No, no, Anders...I agreed to this.  It was only supposed to be temporary.”  Hitomi felt the prickle of tears start, but she held them back.

Anders turned to Fenris.  “I bit my tongue because I thought you were making her happy, but after this...you will stay away from Hitomi,” he announced.  Fenris, eyes downcast, nodded.

Anders grabbed her wrist and led her back to the door.  Hitomi cast a glance back at Fenris and found him looking at her, a sad expression on his face.   _ Goodbye, Fenris. _  She let Anders guide her out of the school.  They stopped in front of the building.

“Why didn’t you say something, Hitomi?  This is about the girls that were bullying you, isn’t it?” he asked.

She didn’t say anything, which made him frown.

“You could have come to me.  If you needed someone to...I would have protected you.” Anders was having a hard time meeting her eye.

“Anders, what are you saying?”

“How could you not know?”  He paused.  “Hitomi, I like you, as more than just a friend.  I have for a long time,” he confessed.

Hitomi inhaled sharply.   _ Anders likes me?   _ She looked at him, but it was Fenris’s sad expression just now that came to her mind.

“I’m sorry, Anders, but the truth is...I like Fenris,” she admitted out loud for the first time.  The tears that had stung her eyes before now came to the surface, and spilled down her cheek.  She couldn’t bear the hurt look on his face, and she ran.  He didn’t follow.

She slowed a few blocks away, but she couldn’t go home yet, either.  There was only one place she could think of to go, and she changed her course to head there.  She took the hill and climbed the steps to the rise.  She almost thought she had taken a wrong turn, but then she saw it:  the tunnel to Fenris’s secret hideaway.  She took a deep breath and hunched through the low tunnel to the other side.  Barely noticing the view of the city, she sank to the ground against the wall, letting the cool wind hit her face.

_ Why did that have to happen?  Now I’ve ruined things with both Fenris and Anders. _  She wiped the tears from her cheek.   _ How am I supposed to face either of them tomorrow at school? _  She stayed there for a while, unwilling to think about facing her family with her face all a mess like this, but she knew eventually she’d have to go home.

Once her tears had dried a little, she stood up.  The sun was setting.  She couldn’t put it off any longer.  Her mother would be angry if she didn’t get back before dark.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 09: Boss Fight

 

Hitomi dressed carefully the next day, and used some cosmetics to mask the dark circles under her eyes from a night spent crying instead of sleeping.  She reminded herself that she had wanted to end the fake relationship with Fenris, to set him free to be with the girl he liked.  She still couldn’t believe that Anders confessed to her.  They’d known each other their whole lives.  She cared for him, but only as a friend, and now she probably didn’t even have that.

The day passed slowly, ignoring both Anders and Fenris.  Isabela asked her a few times to tell her what was wrong, but Hitomi wasn’t ready to talk about it.  However, word got out quickly that she and Fenris had broken up.  She supposed that her classmates guessed from the way they were acting toward each other.   _ Maybe that’s for the best. _  Fenris’s fan club girls eyed her with disdain, whispering together as she walked past, but they thankfully didn’t try to talk to her.

She focused on working on the festival snacks again, and used it was an excuse to hide in the kitchen for a good portion of the day.  By the end of it, however, she believed she had made more than enough to last for the duration of the festival.  She expected the cafe would be popular, what with the cute boys in class wearing animal ears and serving tea and sweets.

She walked home with Rika, who gave her a hug.  

“I heard what happened from another girl in my class.  Boys are stupid anyway.  Your part in your class’s booth is mostly done, right?  The two of us can use the time you have away to roam the festival together, then.  We don’t need boys.”

Hitomi smiled at her friend.  She knew Rika was only trying to make her feel better, but it was good knowing she had someone she could talk to at the event.  She went home and tried to mentally prepare for the next day.

*             *             *

Five minutes into the festival, and Hitomi already wished she could have skipped this.  She felt awkward in her pink frilly apron, and watching the girls fawn over Fenris grated on her nerves.  He charmed them all in his role, of course, treating them with polite kindness.  He really did look amazing in the wolf ears.  He wore a button-up shirt with a vest over it, and dress slacks.  The white ears matched his hair perfectly, as did the short tail attached to the back of his pants.  She couldn’t help but smile, looking at him.

Another order came in, taking her attention. She was grateful that her shift was about over and she’d be able to leave soon.  A few minutes later, she removed the apron, ready to hand it over to the girl taking over for her.  Anders stepped in front of her as she went to leave.  He had been serving, as well, and the orange cat ears on his head suited him perfectly.

“I want to talk to you,” he said, and led her out of the class.  They ducked into an empty classroom and he shut the door behind him.

“Hitomi, I’m sorry for surprising you the other day.  I know my timing was the worst.  I just have a few questions.”

She sighed, but nodded.

“It has to be him, right?” he asked quietly.  She nodded again.

“Does he know?  Did you tell him you like him?” he questioned.

“I...no, I didn’t.  But he has someone else that he likes, so it doesn’t matter.”

“He told you that?”

“Well, no.  I overheard him telling someone else that.”

“Hitomi, I saw the way he was with you.  I think you might be wrong.”  He sighed.  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but as your friend, I want to support you.  If he does return your feelings, then I can accept it.  But, if it turns out he really doesn’t feel that way, at least you can move on, knowing you tried.”

“Anders…” Hitomi said, moved by his gesture.  “You’re right.  I guess I never really gave him a chance to tell me how he feels.  Thank you.”

They walked back into the classroom together.  Fenris looked up at the two of them as they entered, then looked away.  He was talking with Isabela, who was leaning on his shoulder suggestively.  Hitomi frowned, but she wouldn’t be deterred.  She walked over to him.

“Fenris can I see you for a minute?” she asked, proud that her voice didn’t waver.

“If you’ll excuse me,” he said to the table of girls.  He and Hitomi stepped aside from the rest of the crowd.  “What is it?”

“Will you meet me later, in back of the school?  There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Yes.  There’s something I need to tell you, too.”  Hitomi looked up and met his eyes, and gave a small smile.   Fenris exhaled and returned the small gesture.  “I will see you later, then,” he said.

*             *             *

Hitomi wasted no time filling Rika in on the plan.  Rika grinned at her.  “I’m rooting for you, Hitomi-chan!  A fake relationship...I had no idea.  Looking at the two of you together, it seemed real to me.”

“I guess it felt real to me too,” she admitted.  “Well, here’s hoping, right?” Hitomi remembered Fenris’s smile when he agreed to meet her, and he’d seemed sad, too, when she’d left the roof after telling him she wanted to end it.   _ Is it possible he might like me back? _

Hitomi walked around the festival with Rika, enjoying the different booths.  One group was putting on a play.  They stood in the back, but Hitomi kept checking the time on her phone.

“Hitomi-chan, if you want to go and wait for him, you should just go.  It’s pretty obvious your attention isn’t here, and it’s close to time, anyway.”

“Thanks Rika.  I’ll see you later.”

Hitomi had wanted to leave, but now that she had to actually go confess to Fenris, her heart was beating fast in her chest.  There was a rumble of thunder in the distance, foretelling a shower to come.  She took her time going to the meeting spot in back of the school, hoping the ongoing storm would hold off a bit longer.  He wasn’t there yet.  She felt out of place, watching a few couples milling about.  She found a bench in the shadows and decided to wait for him.

She heard him before she saw him; he was talking with someone.  She heard a girl’s laughter.   _ Isabela.  Why would she be coming with him? _

“I told you, Isabela, I’m going to meet with someone,” Fenris said.

“Are you going to tell her about us?” Isabela asked, her voice husky.  Hitomi froze.  She shrank down, hoping that neither of them would notice her in the shadows.  She wished she could meld with the bench and disappear.   _ Fenris moved on already, and with  _ Isabela  _ of all people?  Wait...was she the girl he liked?  That makes sense. _

“You are a cruel girl, Isabela.  It is a good thing she did not know what a viper you really were.”

Isabela just laughed, and clung to his arm.  Hitomi knew she couldn’t stay in her hiding spot forever.  Standing up straight, she walked out into the light.  She felt the first drop of the rain hit her shoulder, but ignored it.

“Hello Fenris.  I think I can guess now what it was that you wanted to tell me.  I suppose congratulations are in order.”

“Hitomi, I-” Fenris started.

“That’s right,” Isabela stated firmly, a grin on her face.  “You can’t very well blame me when you were the one to let him go.”

_ Ouch.   _ “No, you’re right, I can’t.”  Hitomi turned and walked quickly away.  She heard footsteps behind her and started running.  The skies opened up at that time, and a heavy downpour started.   _ Just perfect. _

“Hitomi, wait!” Fenris called.  She had reached the far side of the school, and stopped under a large cherry tree just before the baseball fields.  The rain was coming down in sheets now, and she was instantly soaked through, but she didn’t care any more.  She turned to face him, her tears blending with the rain.

“What do you want?” she said shortly.

“There’s nothing between Isabela and I.  That girl is...really aggressive, but I swear I am not with her.”

“Oh,” Hitomi said, shoulders slumping in a mix of embarrassment and relief.

“Will you tell me what it is you wanted to say now?”

“I...ugh, I feel like such an idiot.”

“Hitomi,” Fenris said softly, and stepped closer to her, his wet hair hanging in his eyes.  “You can tell me, whatever it is.”

“Okay.  I...I know it was only a fake relationship to you, but I came to really like you, Fenris.  It just hurt too much pretend anymore.”

He smiled, and stepped closer again.  “Hitomi, look at me,” he instructed.  She met his gaze hesitantly.  His tattoos started to glow faintly in the dark.  “It was never fake for me.”

“What?!”

“I like you too, Hitomi.  Probably from the first day you bumped into me.”

“You do?” Hitomi asked, incredulous.

He put his arms around her, both of their clothes soaked from the rain, and hugged her, pressing her face into his chest.  “I wanted to tell you before, but I was a coward.  I am sorry if you thought I didn’t like you.”  He looked down into her eyes.  “Will you be my girlfriend, for real this time?”

“Yes!” Hitomi cried out, wrapping her arms around him.

He lowered his head, and gave Hitomi Hawke her very first kiss.  His lips were soft, gentle, and Hitomi knew she would remember this moment forever.  They kissed again and again underneath the cherry tree in the rain, the blue glow radiating from Fenris illuminating both of them.

Finally Fenris pulled back, and held her hand.  Hitomi smiled up at him, her heart feeling fuller than she knew was possible.  It took a moment remember what he had said earlier.

“Oh, wasn’t there something you needed to tell me, too?”

He sighed, the glow dying immediately.  “Yeah.  My dad’s work is taking him out of town more and more.  He’s talking about moving us closer again.”

“You’re  moving away?”

“Maybe.  I’m hoping to convince him to let me stay.  I don’t want to move again, to have to start over again somewhere new...especially now.”  He squeezed her hand.

“Do you think he would listen if we tried to talk to him together?”

“I don’t know.  He’s pretty stubborn.”

“Since when does the brave warrior run from a boss battle?  You’ve got your mage in the party now to back you up.  I believe we can do this; we can get through to him.”

He hugged her again.  “I hope you’re right.  He should be home tomorrow.  Let’s  meet at the arcade and we can go talk to him.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Final Stage

 

Hitomi and Fenris walked back to the festival, hand-in-hand.  Of course, everyone outside had already packed up what they could and headed indoors once the rain started.  They found Rika and Anders in the shoe locker area.  Anders gave a small smile and a nod when he spotted them.  Rika jumped up and down in her excitement. 

“I knew it!” she said.  “The two of you were too perfect together.”

“I agree,” Fenris said, looking down at Hitomi.

“Just be good to her,” Anders warned.  “Hitomi deserves only the best.”

Fenris nodded.

“Have you seen Isabela?” Hitomi asked.  “I’d like to have a word with her.”

“I did,” Rika answered, “but she took off.  She didn’t look happy.  What happened?”

Hitomi smiled.  “That’s between Isabela and I.  Thanks.”

“Walk you home?” Fenris said, and she nodded.

They said their goodbyes and took the same route as always, but now it felt new to Hitomi, holding the hand of the boy she liked.  The rain had eased up a little, but they were still soaked.  

“I liked the wolf ears,” Hitomi commented, nudging him.  “They looked good on you.”

“And your apron was adorable.  Watching you in it was a bit distracting, though.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, it kept making me want to do this,” he stopped, pulled her close again, and kissed her.  She broke it off quickly, looking around.  

“No one was looking.  I was careful,” he teased her, putting a hand on her wet hair.  “You’re so cute, Hitomi.”

She smiled, and they continued on their way to her house.  Stopping in front of it, she let go of his hand.  “Now might not be the best time to meet my mother,” she observed, taking in their bedraggled appearance.

“Soon, though.  Once we settle things with my father,” he added.

“See you tomorrow?”

“I’ll meet you at the arcade at 10.  We’ll be able to get in a quick game before going to see my father.”

“Definitely!” Hitomi grinned.

He leaned in a kissed her cheek.  “Until tomorrow.”

*              *             *

“Morning, Hawke-chan!” Touma called as always.  “I see the two of you are here together again.  Is he your boyfriend or something?”

Hitomi blushed, but nodded.

“Good for you, picking a gamer for your boyfriend.  You’ll always have something in common.”

She and Fenris made their way to the Age of Dragons game and played together for a while, but not even the game could keep her attention from wandering.  When her character died yet again, Fenris looked at her.

“You’re usually better than this.  Are you nervous about today?”   


“Yeah.  The last time I met your dad, he kind of scared me a little.”

“He’s not so bad once you get to know him, he’s just a bit protective, that’s all.  Let’s go get this over with.”

They left the arcade with another wave to Touma on their way out the door.  The walk seemed to take no time at all, and they were back in front of Fenris’s house.  He offered her his hand, and she took it.

They walked to the front door together, and Fenris opened it with his key.  “I’m home.  Father, and I’ve brought a guest,” he announced.

“What’s this?” his father asked, coming into view in the living room.  They took off their shoes and joined him.

“Father, you remember Hitomi Hawke.  She’s been my friend and now my girlfriend for a couple of weeks.”

“A girlfriend?  We’ve talked about this before, Fenris…”

“Please, hear me out,” he implored, and his father stopped for a second, waving for him to speak.

Fenris continued.  “I know you think moving closer to your work will be good for both of us, but I’ve developed real friendships here.  I don’t want to leave.”

“Trust me to know what’s best for you.  Your condition is fragile, Fenris.”

“What is it you don’t want me to remember, Father?” Fenris asked angrily, his markings beginning to take on the blue hue she was coming to recognize.

“How dare you raise your tone at me!” his father shouted.

Hitomi saw her chance and took it.  “You still miss her, don’t you?  Your wife.”

Angry eyes shifted to her.  “And who are you to think you know anything about our family?”

“I’ve just seen the same look on my mother’s face when she thought I wasn’t looking,” Hitomi said.  “My father’s been dead a few years now, but she still misses him, too.

He was quiet for a moment.  Fenris asked, “Is that why we can’t have any pictures of her?  Because you miss her too much?”

There was silence for a moment.  “I loved her more than anything,” his father finally said, his voice shaking.  “The two of you were my world.  When she got sick, I didn’t know what to do.  The doctors said there wasn’t anything they could do for her.  You were just a child.  I had to raise you on my own, and then we found out you had the same condition...I did what any father would.”

Fenris’s markings dimmed, and he stepped toward his father.  “What did you do?  Please, tell me.”

“Your markings...it was an experimental medical procedure.  There was no guarantee it would work.  I thought I was going to lose you too, and I was desperate.  It cost you your memory, but you lived.”

“My tattoos are the reason I lived?” Fenris asked, looking down at the curling lines that covered his skin.  “Why couldn’t you just tell me?”

“Because you are so much like her, a constant reminder that I couldn’t save her.  Every day that passed, you became more like her.  I tried pushing a relationship with you, but every time we would get close, the pain of losing her would come back.  And, I was afraid.  I thought you would find out that I’m the reason you have those markings, that I’m the reason you lost your memory, and you would hate me.

“It sounds like you saved my life.  I couldn’t hate you for that,” Fenris stated.  “But I...I want to know more about Mother.”

“I think I should leave the two of you to talk,” Hitomi said.

“I’ll be right back father,” he said.  Fenris walked her to the door and smiled at her.  “Thank you.  I know talking about your father probably wasn’t easy.”

“My mother always said she didn’t regret meeting my father, because without him, she wouldn’t have had the twins and I.  Give your father a chance, Fenris.  Message me later?”

He nodded, and she left the house, a smile on her face.  Hopefully they could find a way to come together after all.  It was clear his father was still dealing with his own grief, but he almost missed out on having a relationship with his son.

*              *             *

Later that afternoon, she got a text from Fenris: ‘Are you free tomorrow?’

She messaged back: ‘Yes, I don’t have any plans’

The phone buzzed again, it read: ‘Pick you up at noon’

_ That must mean he and his father came to an agreement and...oh no, he said he was coming to pick me up?  He plans on meeting Mother!  I’d better prepare her, or the shock might just kill her. _

Hitomi headed downstairs to break the news to her that her daughter had a boyfriend.  She made sure to mention that he has strange markings that are scars from a medical procedure, and that she shouldn’t mention them.  After answering about a million questions, some of which got answered by Carver and Bethany, who had already met Fenris, her mother finally let her go back to her room.

The next morning, she got ready.  Today, she chose to wear a long-sleeved sweater with a hood, and a pleated skirt that fell just above the knees.  Not overly stylish, but comfortable.  

The knock on the door had her heart beating in her chest, but she needn’t have worried so much.  Her mother was quite nice to Fenris, who was very polite in return. 

“If Hitomi’s going to date, I’m glad she found a nice young man who is polite enough to come introduce himself properly,” her mother said.

She was relieved when they were permitted to leave and it was just the two of them again.  She expelled a relieved breath.  “Well, that went a little better than I thought it would.”

“Your mother is nice,” Fenris said.  “I can tell she cares about you.”

“So where are we going?”

“I was thinking we could go back to that ramen shop.  I saw something on the menu that I wanted to try.  But first, there’s somewhere else I’d like to take you.”

They walked together, holding hands, and she knew immediately where he was taking her.  They climbed the hill, and took the steps, and went through the tunnel to the city overlook.

Once standing on the other side, Fenris turned to her.  “I thought it would be a good chance to get you alone.”  He leaned in and kissed her.  The breeze stirred in both of their hair, and she wrapped her arms around him.  

Leaning his head against hers, he smiled down at her.  “Forgive me, I have been thinking about doing that since yesterday.”

She smiled up at him.  “So things went well with your father?”

“Still rocky, but it is a start.  He’s agreed to let me stay here for the time being, and he plans to talk to his company about getting more local jobs so he and I can spend more time together.”

“I’m glad...both for your father, and that you’ll be staying.  There was no way I was ready to say goodbye yet.”

“Me either,” he said, hugging her.  “I need to thank you.  Thanks to you, I have a chance at building a real relationship with my father.  You are pretty good as my backup, mage.”

“Well, warriors too often charge into the fight without looking, they need the buffs from their party members.”

“I’m not talking about the game, Hitomi.  Seriously, thank you," he said, patting her hair.  "I’m happy I met you.”   


“Fenris…I’m glad I met you too,” she replied.

The next kiss told her just how much he appreciated her.  Her heart swelled, and she hoped she would have many more victories to come with her Player 2.


End file.
